


Fate

by highlytrainedfangirl



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Bit of angst then fluff, I Had To, M/M, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-16
Updated: 2016-09-16
Packaged: 2018-08-15 08:13:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8048926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/highlytrainedfangirl/pseuds/highlytrainedfangirl
Summary: Magnus never wanted the pain of a soulmate.Alec was scared of his family finding out about his.The two soulmates finding each other may help to change their minds.





	Fate

**Author's Note:**

> I've now fixed all of the typos, sorry

Rounded black letters sat against tanned skin. Magnus wanted to pretend that they weren't there, wished that he could somehow erase the word. On his wrist in plain, black shapes was the name Alexander.  
He knew that it was going to happen, it was common knowledge that on one's eighteenth birthday the name of their soulmate appeared. People waited anxiously to find out the name of their fated love.  
He’d seen couples seek each other out, with nothing more than a first name to go on. He'd heard of couples falling in love before their marks appeared, only to realised that they had been with their soulmate all along. Everyone was always so happy.  
Except Magnus. He didn't want a soulmate, he _couldn't_ have a soulmate. He was a warlock, immortal, and he was almost certain that his soulmate wouldn't be.

 

Centuries passed and Magnus met many other immortals. Almost none had happy tales of their soulmate. He knew one who'd met their soulmate when they were both young, only for the mundane to die after forty years. Now aged two-hundred and thirty-eight, the other warlock had the name of their dead lover printed on their arm for eternity.  
Stories like that were all too common. Almost every immortal he met, whether they were warlock or something else, told stories of knowing someone to lose their mortal lover. Those tales were especially common amongst those born mundane.  
He met one warlock who had the name on their wrist change. She was one of the unlucky to meet her soulmate, only for him to die. But almost a century after losing him, the letters on her wrist had twisted and rearranged to form a different name. At first she had been confused and panicked, but eventually she met her second love and for the first time since losing her first, she was happy.  
Magnus often wondered if the name on his wrist would do the same. Would those black letters he had burned into his eyelids ever change? It was strange, that even though he didn't want a soulmate, he didn't think he could ever face losing that name. It was a part of his skin, as much a part of him as anything else.

 

In the end, Magnus decided that he would do anything to avoid his soulmate. He didn't want to become one of those tragic stories.

 

 

Alec dreaded his eighteenth birthday. Ever since he'd first realised his own sexuality he'd lived in fear of the day a name would appear on his wrist. The day a _male_ name would appear.  
A few months after realising he was gay, he began to plan ahead. He knew that suddenly covering his wrist on his eighteenth birthday would look suspicious, it would be too obvious.  
Of course, there were people who preferred to keep their marks covered, for their own reasons. Even some people who covered them to stop themeself from seeing them and fall in love of their own accord. But Alec knew, he _knew_ that if he covered it, it would just make his sister more determined to see it.  
So he decided when he was sixteen to buy a thick leather wristband. He placed it on his left wrist, where he knew the mark would eventually appear. He worse the band every so often for a few months, until it became a permanent part of his appearance.  
By the time he was eighteen no one thought twice of the band covering his soulmark.

 

The dreaded morning came and when Alec opened his eyes he looked tentatively down at the now occupied stretch of skin. Beautiful cursive handwriting, written and a deep shade of purple was the name Magnus. The letters had an almost glittery sheen to them as Alec twisted his arm.  
He had to admit that the writing was absolutely beautiful. He couldn't even imagine what the man who it belonged to looked like. Much less someone with the name 'Magnus'.  
_Well,_ he thought, _at least I'll know him when I meet him._

 

The whole day was dedicated to dodging his sister’s questions. Thankfully no one else at the institute cared, but Izzy was persistent. It took all of his willpower not to bend to her. Thankfully, years of dealing with irritating siblings had trained him well.  
Honestly, if he was going to let anyone see his soulmark it would be Izzy. She knew he was gay, she'd been the first – and only – person he'd come out to. He was pretty certain that she worked it out before he did.  
But Alec was still scared of telling anyone. Shadowhunter society did not take well to same sex relationships. He'd even known people to be stripped of their runes, practically a death sentence.  
Of course, their was always a chance that his family wouldn't be as strict or old fashioned, but it wasn't one he was willing to take.

 

Oh no. No, no, no! This was not good at all and Alec was fighting the urge to flat out panic.  
It was almost a year after the shimmering letters appeared that Alec next heard the name Magnus. His parents and Hodge were discussing something to do with warlocks and he heard is father's voice inquire, "what about Magnus Bane?"  
Upon hearing it Alec had fled to his room in what he hoped was a discreet manner.  
It had to be him. Who else would have that name? Oh, this was so not good. Not only was his soulmate a man, but a _downworlder_. There was no way in hell he could ever let anyone know. What would his family say? What would the _Clave_ say?

 

He obsessed with thinking about it. Had there been other shadowhunters whose soulmates were something else? There must have be someone whose soulmate was a downworlder, it would be ridiculous to think he was the only one.  
But then again being gay _and_ downworlder...

 

Excitement and dread flooded Alec, he swore he could feel it physically travelling in his veins. They were going to see Magnus Bane. Thanks to the little girl who'd shown up at the institute they were going to crash one of Magnus' parties.  
Thank the Angel that everyone was focused on Clary's sudden appearance, because he was sure he would be easy as a book to read. The nerves were making him feel sick. He was going to meet his soulmate. The soulmate he really shouldn't have but still desperately wanted.  
About an hour before they were going to leave, Alex pulled Izzy aside. He was terrified and he knew that she could see it.  
"Alec are you ok?" He wanted to reply. It he was too busy keeping his breathing in check. It was like coming out all over again.  
"What is it"  
This time he found his voice, "it's... It's my, um," he removed the wristband as he spoke. Wordlessly he presented his exposed wrist to his sister. For a second she was silent before looking up at him with a mixture of joy and excitement.  
"So he's you soulmate?!" Her voice was practically a squeal.  
"I guess, I mean how many guys can have that name."  
She was buzzing at this point, "oh, you're going to meet your _soulmate_."  
"Yeah. Could you, I'm, not tell anyone else."  
She hastily agreed and the two stood in an awkward silence for a beat, before Izzy dashed off to continue getting ready. 

 

Music tumbled out as the door was opened. As much as he tried, Alec couldn't even catch a glimpse of Magnus over the group in front of him.  
They piled into he spacious apartment and he tried not to be obvious on his search of their host. Lagging slightly behind his friends, he saw them talking to a gorgeous man dressed in expensive looking clothing and a faint layer of glitter covering every inch of skin.  
_Magnus_ he realised. By the Angel, he was beautiful. And Alec felt incredibly intimidated. How was he supposed to talk to him? What would he say?  
He couldn't speak, instead he stood at the back of their group, admiring the warlock in the centre. His clothes were flamboyant but tasteful, his skin shimmed with an almost iridescent light, and his eyes, _his eyes_. They were like nothing Alec had ever seen before. They shone golden, with deep vertical pupils slitting the middle. They were captivating and terrifying and full of something Alec couldn't decipher. He would happily let his self drown in those eyes.  
He snapped out of his daydream to realise that Magnus had been _flirting_ with him. He's completely missed the words but the smirk on the other man's face and the looks on his friends' faces told him enough. He was able to stutter out a few syllables before the focus was dragged back to Magnus and Alec was able to internally sigh with relief.  
_Great first impression there._

 

Later in the evening, Alec was blue to ditch his friends. The group enjoyed the party for themselves, while Alec resumed his search for Magnus. He was still trying to figure it what he wanted to say when he stumbled across the other man. He was standing alone in one of the few empty spaces of the apartment.  
With what he hoped was more confidence than he felt, Alec approached him. “I, um, hi?” It came out as a question not a statement and Alec cursed himself a hundred times internally for how much of an idiot he sounded.  
“It's you. I was startng to think you weren't interested.” He punctuated his words with a wink that had the shadowhunter flushing a faint pink.  
“I, I, just, um..” This was going horribly. Alec sounded completely incompetent but he couldn't form a proper sentence with those catlike eyes smirking up at him.  
“So can I have a name to go with that face?” Magnus broke his awkward stuttering with another flirtatious remark, and Alec could get used to hearing that voice.  
“Alec,” good job, no stutter. Now if he could just keep that up maybe it would be okay.

 

 

Whatever Magnus had predicted when he threw the party, he definitely hadn't expected it to be crashed by a group of shadowhunters. Shadowhunters accompanied by Clarissa Fairchild no less. It did however have the advantage of Mr Tall-Dark-And-Handsome making an appearance with them. He'd looked more than a little out of his element in the party atmosphere, but Magnus just couldn't resist flirting with him. He was exactly Magnus’ type.

After finally finding a corner by himself to survey the room, he noticed the same man from earlier walking around, looking for someone. When roaming eyes locked onto him, Magnus let a smirk slip into his features. He could see the hesitance rolling off the other man, but watched him come closer. The dark haired boy stuttered around his words adorably and Magnus couldn't resist throwing more flirting into his words. Despite his lack of words, he could tell the other man was interested.  
It was all going great, until he found out his name. The dots connected easily in his head. Alec. The girl they were with earlier was Isabelle Lightwood. Which made Alec _Alexander_ Lightwood. He told himself it was nothing, that he was jumping to conclusions. The name Alexander may not be particularly common, but it was by no means rare. This could be it coincidence. It had to be a coincidence.  
He fought with himself, but Magnus knew it was hopeless when he saw the shadowhunter in front of him began nervously fiddling with the leather band around his wrist. Right over where the mark would be. Even though he couldn't see it, Magnus knew what it would say.  
He couldn't do this. He's promised himself _centuries_ ago that he wouldn't. He needed to walk away, it was just a little flirting, nothing else.  
By as much as he wanted to, Magnus couldn't walk away. He was being pulled towards the other man against his will. It could be such a horrible idea. It could be a stupid idea. Maybe, just maybe, it could be a brilliant idea.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I did a soulmate au. I'm not even going to apologise because I think they're adorable.  
> I tried to make the party scene fit with the books and the show, but I'm not sure whether I succeeded or not...  
> Also if anyone can help me write a better summary it would really be appreciated.


End file.
